Gazania plant named ‘Suga111’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gazania  plant named ‘Suga111’, characterized by its compact, outwardly spreading, low-growing and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; large anemone-type inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Gazania hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUGA111’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gazania plant, botanically known as Gazania hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Suga111’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new Gazania cultivars with desirable and unique inflorescence form and floret colors.

The new Gazania originated from a cross-pollination in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia in January, 2001, of a proprietary selection of Gazania hybrida identified as code number NX20.500.1, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Gazania hybrida identified as code number KO.2, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Gazania was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia in October, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Gazania by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia since October, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Gazania are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Suga111 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Suga111’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Suga111’ as a new and distinct potted Gazania cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, outwardly spreading, low-growing and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large anemone-type inflorescences with golden yellow-colored         ray florets.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Gazania differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in ray floret color as plants of the female parent selection have yellow-colored ray florets. Plants of the new Gazania differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in inflorescence form and ray floret color as plants of the male parent selection have daisy-type inflorescences with orange-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Gazania can be compared to plants of the Gazania cultivar Sunset Jane, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Gazania differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Sunset Jane in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Sunset Jane had amber-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Gazania. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Gazania.

The photograph on at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suga111’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Suga111’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the late winter and early spring in Encinitas, Calif. and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Gazania production. Plants were initially grown in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and then grown for the last three weeks in an outdoor nursery. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 24° C. and night temperatures averaged 19° C. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were about 18 weeks old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gazania hybrida cultivar Suga111. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gazania             hybrida identified as code number NX20.500.1, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gazania             hybrida identified as code number KO.2, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures of about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 38 days             at temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 42 days             at temperatures of about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous anemone-type potted Gazania. Compact,             outwardly spreading, low-growing and mounded plant habit.             Strong and freely branching growth habit with about ten             lateral branches per plant. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 10 cm.         -   Plant weight.—About 26.5 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 12 cm. Diameter: About             1.2 cm. Internode length: About 1.1 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: 195C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 5 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Deeply dissected with nine to eleven lobes.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Deeply indented; entire.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent, flocculent.         -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 144A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 196D. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 147A; venation, 147C. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 191D; venation, 146B.         -   Petiole length.—About 6.8 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole texture, lower surface.—Pubescent, flocculent.         -   Petiole color, upper surface.—146D.         -   Petiole color, lower surface.—191B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Anemone-type inflorescence form with             ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering season.—Plants flower from spring to early fall in             Southern California; flowering continuous during this             period.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about three to             five days on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 20 inflorescences develop             per plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 4 cm. Diameter: About             1.6 cm. Shape: Ovoid, pointed. Color: 160A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.5 cm. Diameter of disc: About 3.2 cm. Receptacle             height: About 1.7 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 3 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Ligulate. Orientation: Initially             upright, then about 30° from vertical, outer ray florets             perpendicular to peduncle; reflexing. Length: About 4 cm.             Width: About 9 mm. Apex: Acute or emargine. Base: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous, satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence:             About 18 in a single whorl. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Slightly darker than 23A. When opening, lower             surface: 8A; thin longitudinal stripes, 145D. Fully opened,             upper surface: Towards the apex, 14B; towards the base, 23A.             Fully opened, lower surface: 8A; at the apex, 183A; towards             the margins, 17A; thin longitudinal stripes, 145B.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular, elongated, enlarged. Apex: Five-pointed.             Length: About 2 cm. Width, at apex: About 5 mm. Width, at             base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 166. Color: Immature: 13B tinged with 145C. Mature:             Apex: 23A; towards the apex, 12A. Mid-section: 15B. Base:             157B.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 43             in about three whorls. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About             3 mm. Shape: Linear to elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             146A. Color, lower surface: More grey than 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 13 cm. Length,             second peduncle: About 9.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Angle:             Nearly horizontal. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: 149D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Only observed on disc florets. Pistil length: About 1 cm.             Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: 23A. Style length:             About 8 mm. Style color: 15C. Ovary color: 157D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Gazanias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Gazania have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 32° C. 

1. A new and distinct Gazania plant named ‘Suga111’ as illustrated and described. 